Walking doll



March 3, 1942. J. T. HAYDEN WALKING DOLL Filed July 2, 1938 2 Sheets-Sheet -l Invent:

1: his attornay,

March 1942- J. T. HAYDEN 2,275,047

WALKING DOLL Patented Mar. 3, 1942 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 5 Claims.

This invention relates to walking dolls.

Dolls made of paper pulp or wood fiber, as sold today, have a well formed and strong, shelllike structure, with legs and arms jointed to the body to swing in various positions, but are not adapted to be walked when held upright. It is therefore one of the objects of my invention to modify the joints of such dolls and provide means co-ordinated with the hip joints, to enable a child or an adult to walk the doll, while it is being held upright, either when the body is held or when an arm, releasably secured in an upright position, is held and the doll led stepping forward.

A further object of this invention is to provide a form of hip joint for a doll, which shall include a journaled bearing for swinging the leg on an axis, which is fixed with respect to the body, and in addition, to provide elastic means, arranged about the bearing, and at the same time being adapted to swing the leg forward when free, after the leg has, relatively to the body, been turned backward, against the action of the said elastic means.

A further object in this connection is to maintain, as near as possible, the neat appearance of the hip joint structure of the doll, such as one ordinarily sold to the trade, without this means for permitting the doll to be walked.

Another object of this invention is to provide 2;"

enable one, taking hold of its hand, to support 1" the doll in an upright position, while the doll is being walked.

A further object of this invention is to provide a doll which is adapted to be walked, when held in an upright position, having the doll made to include a skeleton frame, with a stuffed covering thereon, to simulate a rag doll, and having the shoulder and hip joints formed to adapt the doll to be held in an upright position, while being walked.

With these and other objects which will hereinafter appear, my invention resides in certain construction, various forms of which are illustrated in the drawings. These forms and their parts are described and the manner in which they function, individually and collectively, is explained and what I claim is set forth.

In the drawings,

Figure l is a sectional front elevation of a doll, showing incorporated therewith, forms of i 65, the upright cross-member 65.

shoulder and hip-joints embodying my invention.

Figure 2 is a sectional elevation taken on the line 22, of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a perspective view of thecoiled hip joint spring, used in connection with the doll shown in Figures 1 and 2.

Figure 4 is a perspective View of a fragmental end of the slotted tubular axle, shown in Figures 1 and 2.

Figure 5 is an edge elevation of the shoulder plate adapted to be fixed to an arm of the doll, shown in Figures 1 and 2.

Figure 6' is a sectional front elevation of a form of skeleton framed, walkable, rag doll, embodying my invention.

Figure 7 is a side elevation of a doll similar to that shown in Figure 6.

Figure 8 is an elevation showing the fiat side of the main body part, of the frame, of the doll shown in Figures 6 and '7.

Figure 9 is a side elevation of the tubular shoulder axis member, of the doll shown in Figures 6 and '7.

Figure 10 is a front elevation of a shoulder bearing member of the doll shown in Figures 6 and 7.

Figure 11 is a front elevation of a hip bearing member, of the doll shown in Figures 6 and 7.

In the figures, referring particularly to Figures l to 5 inclusive, the body 59 has legs t3 and 5!, arms 62 and (i3, and head 66.

Within the body 59 is centrally fixed by screws Fixed in the lower part of the cross-member 66 is the sleeve Bl, flanged out on its ends. Passing through the sleeve 6? in tight fitting relation is the tubular shaft 66. Each of the legs 69 and ti, has a sleeve 6S, positioned across the upper end of the leg. These sleeves 69 are flanged out on their ends to secure them within their legs. These sleeves 68 are adapted to be mounted in spaced concentric relation around the shaft t8, so as to have coiled springs Ill and H loosely surround the shaft $8, and come Within the sleeves (iii.v

Each of the springs 19 and i I, has an inturned end l2, adapted to engage one of the short longitudinal slots 13 in the ends of the tubular shaft 58. Each of the springs It and 'il, has an extension !4 at one end thereof, and the ends of the extensions l lare turned back to penetrate the leg which the spring H! or H is connected with.

It will be observed that the spring Hi, accompanying leg 6!, is wound in one direction, while the spring I I, accompanying the leg this wound in the opposite direction. This is done so that as either leg is moved backward, it will partially wind up its spring, and when the leg is free to move, its spring will throw the leg forward in its action to unwind partially. To hold the legs and their respective coiled springs in place upon the shaft 68, there is provided a coiled spring '15, within the tubular shaft 68. This spring l5 has line extensions I6, passing through discs I7, and while the spring 75 is in tension, the outer ends of the extensions are bent over, thus causing the legs to be drawn toward one another. It is important that the shaft G8 is shorter than the distance between the discs 'll, when the legs are somewhat spread, during a sitting position of the doll, so that the legs can be drawn closer when the doll stands upright. However, it is important that the spring ends l2 remain engaged with the slots 13, in any position of the legs.

Regarding the arm joints and connections, there is fixed across the upper part of the mem ber 65, a tube '88 reaching outside the shoulder portions of the body 59. Body shoulder plates 19, are fixed to the body 59 by spurs 8E! integral therewith. The tube I8 passes in sliding fit through holes in the plates 79. J ournaled upon the ends of the tube 18 are the thimble extensions 8i, integral with the arm shoulder plates 82. Within the tube 78 is the coiled spring 83,

centrally positioned. Line extensions t l pass through the thimble extensions 8I, and when the spring 83 is in tension, the ends of the extensions BI are bent over so asto draw the plates 82 toward the plates 19. Each of the plates 82 has a projecting pin 35, positioned to register with and engage a hole 8'6 in its co-joining plate: 19, when the arm attached to the plate 82 is up. After the plates 79 and 82 are assembled with the tube I8 and the spring extensions 8%, each of the arms 62 and B3 is attached to its plate &2 by spurs 8?, integral with the attached plate 82.

Referring now to the form of rag doll shown in Figures 6 and '7, the skeleton frame thereof may be made of wood or other suitable material. Included in the frame is the central upright member 88, having a large hole 89, near the top and a small hole 93, near the bottom thereof. Passing through the large hole 89, across the member 63, is the round cross piece 9!, secured in the member 88, by the nail 92. Passing through the small hole 90 is the bolt 93, secured therein against turning by the nail 93 Around this bolt 93, on one side of the member 88 is positioned a leg bearing piece 9 and on the other side of the member 88, is positioned a leg bearing piece Q5. Between the bearing piece 9% and the bolt 93, and freely coiled around the bolt E3, is the coiled spring at, which has an inturned end engaging the hole 91 in the bolt 53. Similarly, between the bearing piece 95 and the bolt 93 and freely coiled around the bolt 83, is the coiled spring 98, one end of which engages the hole 99, in the bolt 93. Fixed in each bearing piece 94 and 95, and depending therefrom is a leg rod Idii, terminating in a foot piece Idl, to which the rod IN is fixed. Each of the coiled springs db and 98 has an extension I62, the end of which is fixed to the rod ltd. Each of these coiled springs is wound in a manner to be partly wound, when the leg, to which the coiled spring is attached, is moved backward, and to partly unwind, in throwing the leg forward. The ends of the bolt 93, are capped over by the nuts 5%.

Referring now to the shoulders, a tube IM vpasses through the cross piece 9|, and has on each projecting end of said tube IM, an arm bearing piece I05, free to swing on the tube I04. This bearing piece me, has projecting from it and fixed thereto, an arm rod I836. The bearing piece N35, has a hole It! through it, of two diameters, so as to form a shoulder Iiil The smaller part m8 of the hole IUI, loosely fits the tube I04, so that the wall of the hole part I99, is spaced from the tube Hi4, to admit a compression spring I ID, to be positioned between the tube I M and the bearing piece I05, while bearing against the shoulder Idl The other end of the spring I II] bears against a disc III, and a wire IIZ, passing through each disc III, with its ends bent over holds these discs against the ends of the tube I84. In each end of the cross piece 9!, is fixed a round plate H3, through which the tube I 04 passes. Each plate H3 has a hole H4, and each bearing piece I95 has a pin II 5, projecting toward the plate H3. The pin H5 and the hole IM are so positioned circumferentially and relative to one another as to register and become engaged when the'arm is up, thus releasably locking the arm in this position through the action of the spring HE], by forcing the bearing piece Hi5 against the plate H3, as the pin H5 engages the hole IM. This engagement of the pin with the hole, can be released by pulling out a little on the arm, at the shoulder, and at the same time, when so held released, turning the arm down.

The frame parts, with the leg and arm skeleton portions, are loosely covered with a fabric 5 It, or other suitable covering, which is stuffed with saw dust H1 or other suitable material. At the shoulder and hip joints the covering is omitted, however some kind of covering over these joints can be used, which does not interfere with their normal action.

Having above described a few forms of dolls and joints embodying my invention, I will now explain the operation thereof, and insert in place thereof the following:

Considering next the functioning of the joint parts in the action of walking the form of doll shown in Figures 1 and 2, we have, here coiled springs l9 and ll, for throwing the legs forward. These coiled springs H3 and "H, encircling the tubular shaft 68, are wound in opposite directions, so that their extensions M come forward, over the shaft 68, and have their ends 72 engage the respective end slots I3, of the shaft 68, so that, being so anchored to the shaft 68, but slidably keyed with the slots '53, this anchorage serves to hold one end of each coil sprin and H while the other end of the spring is partially wound up by the rearward movement of the leg, as leg 6| for coiled spring l0, and leg 68, for coiled spring TM. The tubular shaft Silfits tight enough in the sleeve I57 to resist turning by the partial strain which comes from either coiled spring W or II, as the respective leg connected therewith, moves backward, however it can be made possible to forcibly turn the shaft 68 in the sleeve 6?, when adjusting the desired action of the said coiled springs it or H, upon the leg connected therewith. Where it is possible that the legs 5i and 68, will slightly move outward, when the doll is put in a sitting position, the coiled spring 75, being in tension, will tend to draw the legs toward one another, by means of the connection of the spring i5 with the discs Tl. When th legs 68 and ti, swing down for a standing or walking posi-' tion, they will be drawn toward one another in spaced relation, depending upon the length of the tubular shaft 63, against which the discs 11 will bear. In Figures 1 and 2, considering the shoulder joints, there is a tube I8, having journaled on the ends thereof, the th'imbles BI, having extending plate flanges 82. These thimbles 8I are elastically drawn on to the tube I8, by the tension, of the spring 83, so that when th pin 85, engages the hole 86, with the arm up, the plate I9 and the plate flange 82, of the shoulder arm 62 are in contact with one another, by virtue of the pulling, of the spring 83. The journaled engagement of the thimble 8I with the tube 83, serves to resist rocking the arm on the tube 83.

Considering now the operation of the joint parts, of the rag doll, shown in Figures 6 and 7, instead of a tubular shaft on which to mount the legs, as shown in Figures 1 and 2, here we have a bolt 93, fixed against turning within the body member 88. Here also we have coiled springs mounted on the leg shaft, but instead of anchoring the spring ends in slots, they are anchored in the respective holes 91 and 99, while the forwardly bent, spring extensions I02, engage the leg rods I00. When one of the arm is up, to have the pin I I5, in the shoulder piece I05, engage the hole I M, in the plate I I3, the spring I I0, bearing against the shoulder I01, within the piece I05, also bears against the disc III, causing the piece I05, to bear against the plate H3. The discs I I I, held against the end of the tube I04, by the wire H2, form fixed bearings for the springs H0. The journalling of the shoulder pieces I05, upon the tube I04, resists any rocking of the arm thereon.

While I have shown and described various forms of my invention, it is possible to devise other forms of walking dolls which will embody my invention, I wish therefore to include all forms thereof which come within the spirit and scope of the following claims.

I claim,

1. In a doll having a structure made in accordance with claim 5, said structure having in addition tension means for drawing the top portions, of said legs along said shaft, toward one another.

2. In a doll having a structure made in accordance with claim 5, said structure having in addition, a swingable arm having means for holding it in a releasably, locked position,

3. In a doll having a structure made in accordance with claim 5, said structure having in addition, a tubular cross member in the hole of each of said legs, serving to strengthen said top portions and to form bearings for said shaft.

4. In a doll including in combination, a main body portion, a central, depending extension to said main body portion, a shaft below said main body portion fixed to said extension, and positioned, to project to the right and to the left of said extension, legs secured to said body, each leg having a cross bearing within its upper portion, a coiled spring within said bearing, upon which the le is journalled, a portion of said shaft extending within each of said coiled springs, whereby said shaft is enveloped near its end by said leg at its upper portion, having said spring between the shaft and the bore of the cross bearing of each leg, one end of said spring being attached to said shaft, and the other end of said spring being attached to the leg, enveloping said spring, said spring attachment being made in a manner to normally swing th leg, on said shaft, to a forward position in the act of being walked.

5. In a doll adapted to be walked and having a body, arms and a pair of legs, each of which has a bearing hole within and crossing its top portion, and said body having a central depending portion extending below the main part of said body, positioned between the said top leg portions, a joint connecting each of said legs with said depending body portion, said joint including a shaft member fixed to and extending beyond each side of said depending body portion, substantially at right angles thereto, and entering the said leg holes in the said top portions of said legs, a coiled spring loosely surrounding said shaft portions within each of said holes, to have said shaft and said spring in bearing engagement with said legs within said holes, one end of each of said springs being fixed with respect to the leg it engages, and the other end of each of said springs being fixed with respect to said body, whereby each of said springs is tensioned, and untensioned within the top portion of the leg it engages, during the swinging of said leg.

JOSE-PH T. HAYDEN. 

